The Times of India 22.02.2013
Civic panel rejects hike in property, water tax
NASHIK: The standing committee of the NashikMunicipal Corporation on Thursday rejected the hike in property and
water taxes for residential properties proposed by municipal
commissioner Sanjay Khandare in the civic budget for 2013-14. Other proposals were approved by the committee with certain amendments.
The administration had presented a draft budget of Rs 1,556.80 crore to
the standing committee chairman Uddhav Nimse on Monday. The meeting of
the standing committee was held on Thursday to discuss the budget
presented by the municipal commissioner Sanjay Khandare.
Khandare had proposed up to 10 per cent hike in property taxes and eight
per cent hike in water taxes for residential properties. Rejecting the
hike, Nimse said the proposal was unacceptable to the panel. “The rest
of the budget was approved with some suggestions made by the standing
committee members,” Nimse added.
Earlier, Ajay Boraste of the Shiv Sena
said, “We strongly oppose the hike in property and water taxes. In the
case of water, only 60 per cent of the water supplied is being taxed,
while 40 per cent of it is unaccounted for. Hence, the civic
administration must make efforts to recover cent per cent water taxes
instead of hiking taxes. Also, the NMC must undertake rainwater
harvesting and water-saving projects.”
Other members, including
Prakash Londhe ofthe RPI, Dinkar Patil (Congress), Vikrant Mate (NCP),
Balasaheb Sanap (BJP), Seema Hiray (BJP), Ashok Murtadak (MNS), Gulzar
Kokni (MNS) and Vishal Gholap (MNS), too, opposed both the hike
proposals.
During the budgetary discussion, the standing
committee members made some suggestions like survey of properties,
collecting one time property tax, safety training for women
by NMC’s women and child welfare committee, multi-level parking, audit
of tree plantation, developing of anganwadis, determining the period to
increase property and water taxes, building traffic islands
to avoid accidents and for smooth flow of traffic, policy on
advertising hoardings and acquisition of land for ring roads against
TDR.
